Super Bug

Historical Background

In the 1980s, McDonnell Douglas proposed an enlarged F/A-18 Hornet, marketed as Hornet 2000. The concept envisaged an F/A-18 with a larger wing and a longer fuselage to carry more fuel (the Hornet's main shortcoming) and more powerful engines. The study was made official in January 1988. At the same time, the US Naval Aviation was having problems with the A-12 Avenger II stealth attack aircraft programme, which was intended to replace the A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair on board US carriers. The Navy was also looking for a replacement for its aborted Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter (which was basically a navalised F-22 Raptor). The Navy also considered updating an existing design rather than designing a totally new aircraft, as the end of the Cold War led to budget cuts and considerable restructuring. As an alternative to the NASF and A-12, McDonnell Douglas offered the Hornet 2000 as the 'Super Hornet'. In 1992, the US Navy ordered the Super Hornet, partly to replace the venerable F-14 Tomcat and partly as all replacement aircraft should be based on the F/A-18 pending the introduction of the F-35. Despite basically a new aircraft, the F/A-18 designation was retained to help the Navy to sell the Super Hornet to the Congress.

The Super Hornet first flew on 29 November 1995 with full production begun in September 1997. In 1999 it went through the Navy's operational tests and evaluations and was finally accepted in February 2000. The Super Hornet is about 20% larger than the original Hornet (now dubbed 'Legacy Hornet'), it was also 3,200 kg (empty weight) and 6,800 kg (maximum weight) heavier. The Super Hornet also carries 33% more fuel, allowing a 41% increase in mission range and endurance by 50% over the Legacy Hornet. To make room for that extra fuel and additional electronics, the fuselage was stretched by 86 cm and the wing area was enlarged by 25%. However, although it was 5,000 kg lighter than the F-14, the Super Hornet still cannot match the former's range and endurance. Despite the extension and enlargement, the Super Hornet has 42% less structural parts than the Legacy Hornet. The Super Hornet was powered by a pair of General Electric F414 afterburning turbofan engines which have 35% more thrust than the original F404. The new engines also allow a higher 'bringback' weight. With the retirement of KA-6D and S-3B inflight refueling tankers, the Super Hornet was designed so that it can be equipped with an air refueling system ('buddy tanks'), carrying a 1,200 liter fuel tank/hose drum unit on the centerline and four 1,800 liter tanks under the wings.

The intake ramps were redesigned, from oval in the Legacy Hornet to a rectangular one. The wing root leading edge extensions (LERX) were also enlarged, improving vortex lifting characteristics in high angle of attack maneuvers. The Super Hornet also incorporated some stealthy features, including redesign of the intakes so that the engines compressor face is masked, reducing the aircraft's overall radar cross-section. Other measures include panel joint serration and edge alignment. Two extra hardpoints were added under the wings for a total of 11. The Super Hornet has quadruplex digital fly-by-wire system and also a digital flight control system that detects and corrects for battle damage. Initial production Super Hornets were equipped with the APG-73 radar as the C and D versions of the Legacy Hornet but were later replaced with APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. Main electro-optical sensor and laser designator was the AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR. From May 2007, the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) was delivered to operational units, allowing, among others, off-boresight missile cuing. Like the Legacy Hornet, the Super Hornet came in two versions: the single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F.

The Super Hornet achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC) in September 2001 with VFA-115 'Eagles'. The Eagles also became the first unit to use their Super Hornet in combat when a pair of them attacked two Iraqi SAM launchers at Al Kut and an air defence command and control bunker at Tallil Air Base in support of Operation Southern Watch on 6 November 2002. The mission also marked the debut of the JDAM. The Super Hornet was subsequently used in US operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and along the Somali coast. Unlike the Legacy Hornet, the Super Hornet was not operated by the USMC (who prefer to wait for the F-35). So far, only Australia is the export customer for the Super Hornet, curently operating 24. Other potential customers were sought, including Canada, Denmark, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Poland, UAE, Bulgaria and Belgium. The Super Hornet airframe is also used to build the EA-18G Growler, the replacement for the venerable EA-6B Prowler on board the Navy's carriers.

The Kit

Hasegawa introduced their 1/72 kit of the Super Hornet in 2003 by releasing the 'F' version and this was followed by the 'E' in 2004. The parts were spread among seven light grey and one clear sprues. The parts were well-moulded and featured finely engraved panel lines and hundreds of tiny dimples representing the flush rivets. The fuselage breakdown allow Hasegawa to make just one mould for the forward fuselage of both E and F models. The intake trunking, as with many other models are short and ended with a 'wall'. Other interior details, such as for the landing gear wells were sufficient in 1/72 scale. Unlike previous Hasegawa kits, there were some external stores provided : four 480-US Gallon external tanks, two AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9X Sidewinders. Also included is a AN/AAS-38 NITE Hawk FLIR pod (strangely not the ATFLIR). Of course you need weapons from other sources to fully arm your Rhino. Two marking options were provided : NH 200 / 165861, VFA-14 Tophatters, USS Nimitz and NK 200 / 165781, VFA-115 Eagles, USS Abraham Lincoln.

Construction

As usual, construction started at the admittedly not-detailed-cockpit. It was painted Gunze 317 with the details (make that just the control stick) in Flat Black. The dials and switches were represented by decals. Rather bafflingly (as it would be invisible), Hasegawa instructed you to fill the holes in the shell of the rear crew position. The front fuselage of the kit is a three-piece affair. The left and right halves were cemented first. The cockpit was cemented to the lower fuselage and afterwards it was cemented to assembled upper halves. As with any other multi-part assembly, some extra care were needed to avoid seams. Although instructed to be fitted later, I decided to put the ejection seat into place. I however discarded the kit ejection seat and replaced it one from Aires. The nose assembly was set aside as I go through the main fuselage.

The main fuselage is another multi-part affair with the possibility of bad fit. Before doing anything, holes were drilled into the bottom of the fuselage to accommodate an external fuel tank later on. As the intake trunks ended in a blank 'wall', the latter was painted Flat Black while the intake trunking itself was painted Gunze H308. The decals representing the grille (I think) on the intake was done at this time as there might not be enough space for my fingers when the intake parts were joined together. A blanking plate closes the aperture for the WSO's cockpit. The mounting for the engine turbine face at the rear of the fuselage is also the mount for the horizontal tail and was provided with poly caps so that the tails can be removed for painting. As feared, there are some steps on the joint lines which needed attention but nothing major. The same goes when the fuselage was mated to the nose assembly.

The wings were two-piece affairs and holes were drilled into the lower half before the two of them were mated together. The wingtip missile rails were separate and the instructions have you cement the rail and missile together before cementing the assembly to the wings. I digress by cementing the rails to the wings first and leave the missiles for later. But the way the wingtips were engineered meant that I have to apply the decals for the wingtip slime lights (after painting the relevant areas first) before cementing the missile rails. The separate hump on the spine fit well but there was a bit of a gap between it and the fuselage towards the rear. The twin vertical tails were cemented while the horizontal tails were pushed into place. The latter would be removed during decalling to ease things. As usual, all the small parts, landing gears and doors were left off until after painting. The pylons wera also left off at this time to ease handling.

Painting and Decalling

As with most US modern military combat jets, the Super Hornet is painted a two-tone grey scheme, specifically FS 36375 and FS 36320. The former was applied using Gunze H308 while the latter was mixed from Tamiya XF-66 Light Grey, XF-54 Dark Sea Grey and XF-2 Flat White as didn't realize I have run out of Gunze H307. The still-separate parts were also painted while still on the sprue and will be touched-up later. The area next to the cannon muzzle was painted Burnt Iron. For markings, instead of kit decals, I used TwoBobs' 'F/A-18E Rockin' Rhinos #1' decal sheet featuring a CAG bird from VFA-22 Fighting Redcocks and VFA-143 Pukin' Dogs. Both schemes are attractive but in the end I chose the Pukin' Dog scheme. Having used their decals for my  F-117, A-10 and F-111 projects before, I am very sure of their quality. One complaint though : some of the decals were not shown in the instructions. The decals then received an application of AK Interactive Decal Adapter solution. I however slipped my hand while applying the said solution on the right hand side diagonal stripe, resulting in a crooked line underneath the LERX.

Finishing

There really wasn't much to do at this stage, for this kit. The landing gear was assembled, given some wash and was then cemented to the fuselage. The horizontal planes were simply pushed into place. The panel lines were then highlighted with AK Interactive Paneliner for Grey Aircraft. For underwing stuff, I did not have really clear idea on what were hung underneath the pylons during combat missions. In the decided, using stuff found in Hasegawa's Weapons Sets, two GBU-16s, two GBU-31 JDAMs and an AGM-88 HARM were used while the Sidewinders and AMRAAMs came from the kit. However I decided to use the 'L' family of the AIM-9 instead of the newer X. Liquid cement was stippled on the GBU-16s to replicate the thermal coating used on USN bombs. before cementing the external stores, certain panel lines were enhanced using AK Interactive Paneliner while pencil was used for the rest. After the external stores have been attached to the model, it was sprayed with a couple of layers of Flat Clear.

Conclusion

The Hasegawa 1/72 F/A-18E Super Hornet got a 'fair' rating from me. The overall shape is nice  although the fit wasn't, especially from the intake forward. Detail-wise, the interior was as as expected form the kit of this scale although should have added a bit more to spruce up the deck behind the pilot's office. And apparently, for this particular kit, some of the external details / panel lines are of the prototype's (or imaginary?) - I came to this conclusion after perusing the instruction sheets of subsequent reboxings of this kit, showing the required trimming/sanding/filling. And there is no need for me to go on about the relative lack of underwing stores, but at least, Hasegawa has the decency of providing modellers with the pairs of Sidewinder and AMRAAM missiles.